Chapter 183 Birthday Gift
Shi Rongyue thus settled into the residence of the Marquis of Yuyang, staying in the same courtyard she had previously occupied.
As for Nan Yu, whether he was startled by Qin Shaozong's handwritten letter or preoccupied with other matters, he only sent two cartloads of Shi Rongyue's belongings afterward, and then there was no further movement.
With the arrival of a girl in the family, the household was filled with more laughter and joy.
Dai Li didn't concern herself with how the younger generation got along. Firstly, dating requires space, and it wasn't appropriate for parents to interfere and question everything. Secondly, she had her own things to do.
This year, Yuyang had a golden autumn, and after the harvest, a new round of composting will be carried out in the winter to prepare for next year's battle.
Qin Shaozong tentatively scheduled the war for next summer.
It must be said that this timing was quite "cunning." Usually, wars only break out after the autumn harvest, when the busiest time has passed, the grain is stored, and the military and civilians have some free time. With both time and supplies available, war can then be considered.
This has always been the case for both sides.
But this year, Yuyang had a bumper harvest with exceptionally high grain yields, so Qin Shaozong decided to take an unconventional approach.
What the enemy lacks, we possess; the advantage lies with us.
Qin Shaozong looked at Dai Li, who had returned even later than him, and asked for the second time, "Madam has been acting mysteriously lately, leaving early and returning late. What are you doing?"
Dai Li used the same excuse as last time: "Busy! You have your busy life, and I have mine."
Last time, Qin Shaozong thought she was talking about composting because she sounded so serious. But now that the end of winter is over and spring has arrived, it's time to start planting. There's no need for composting anymore, yet she still says she's busy.
She wouldn't tell him exactly what she was busy with.
Qin Shaozong was determined to get to the bottom of this. "Madam is always running around outside. Is there some gold out there that you could find?"
Dai Li laughed for no apparent reason, "You could say that, it does have something to do with 'gold'."
"Tell me the truth quickly, or don't blame me for being impolite." Qin Shaozong grabbed the woman's slender waist with both hands and pulled her onto his lap. His hands were very large, with long, slender fingers and distinct knuckles, and his palms could almost encircle Dai Li's waist.
Dai Li spread her knees and pressed them against the couch, one hand on his chest, trying to create distance between them. "Grand Commandant, you have quite the airs of authority. May I ask how you intend to be impolite?"
Qin Shaozong smiled but remained silent, only moving both hands simultaneously to tell her what he wanted.
"Qin! Chang! Geng! Hahaha... Stop!"
Her waist was covered in ticklish spots, and Dai Li laughed so hard she couldn't get off his lap. In the end, she laughed until she was too tired to continue, and she lowered her head, pressing her forehead against his broad shoulder and panting heavily.
Qin Shaozong moved his hand along her waistline, one hand around her waist, the other hand lifting her up, and then touched the corner of her eyes that were crying from laughing, "What have you been busy with these days, Madam?"
Dai Li was speechless. This guy really was using torture to extract a confession. She said weakly, "Qin Changgeng, hurry up and get rid of your damn controlling nature. Aren't the soldiers outside enough for you to mess with? Aren't the children at home enough for you to manage? Why do you have to manage me too?"
"Don't care about you? You think you can turn the world upside down?" Qin Shaozong scoffed.
Dai Li sighed, "Believe me, you would never want to know this now."
Qin Shaozong raised his eyebrows. "In that case, I'll go ask Qiao Wangfei."
These days, she goes out early every morning and goes with Qiao Wangfei to a house in the county. They stay there all day without coming back for lunch, and don't return until it gets dark.
Qin Shaozong didn't suspect his wife of having feelings for another man. After all, Qiao Wangfei was inferior to him in every way—he lacked his power and influence, wasn't as tall and handsome, and already had a wife at home. This wicked fox had almost rejected him, so why would she be interested in a mere village head?
However, this did not diminish Qin Shaozong's curiosity.
"Don't go ask Chief Qiao." Dai Li couldn't let him go. If Qin Changgeng really wanted to investigate, he definitely wouldn't be able to keep it a secret. "I have something important for him to help me with, not something reckless."
He remained steadfast, saying, "Tell the truth."
Dai Li rolled her eyes at her. "I already said it's important business! Why do you have to meddle in everything? It's one thing to manage the soldiers outside, you're already busy enough with so many things to do, and now you have to meddle with me when you get back. Anyway, don't worry about this matter, you'll find out when the time comes."
"When will that be?" Qin Shaozong seemed to only hear the last sentence.
The man's hands were itching to move again. Dai Li, unable to bear his antics any longer, could only say, "Let's wait until the second day of April."
His birthday is on the second day of the fourth lunar month, which is just a few days away.
Qin Shaozong suddenly burst into laughter, his strong chest heaving. Dai Li, who was being held by him and had no choice but to lean against his chest, felt the continuous vibrations and the powerful heartbeats.
Oh well, never mind, I won't argue with him.
Qin Shaozong stopped questioning him, but replaced the "torture" with other methods, and a spring-like atmosphere spread throughout the tent.
After one round, Dai Li, her temples slightly damp, leaned against the brocade pillow, her beautiful peach blossom eyes half-closed, satisfied, entering a state of sage-like tranquility.
But that rough, large hand still explored everywhere like a fish, as if searching for treasure on the seabed, darting here and there. It was also like a tiger guarding its territory, always leaving some traces as markings, which was quite annoying.
Unable to bear it any longer, Dai Li slapped his hand away, saying, "Go to sleep, we have to get up early tomorrow."
But as soon as she finished speaking, she clearly felt something poking her. Dai Li's eyes widened involuntarily, "You still..."
As it turned out, he was in high spirits and really wanted to do it again. "Madam, please cross your legs."
Dai Li hadn't taken a nap during the day, and her eyelids were practically glued shut. Hearing his words, she shuddered. "Didn't you go to the barracks during the day? How come you haven't used up all your energy yet?"
He just smiled and didn't say anything, continuing with his work.
As Dai Li swayed with him, she vaguely thought that men with excessive energy were only suitable to be leaders, not husbands.
*
Before we knew it, it was the second day of the fourth lunar month.
The day was no different from any other, with clear skies and a gentle breeze. But for many, especially the prominent families of Yuyang, this day held extraordinary significance.
They got up before dawn, ordered their men to check the lavish gifts they had prepared in advance again, and then loaded them onto carts to be transported to the Marquis's residence, striving to be the first to send gifts.
As for people...
The visiting card had been sent long ago, but the recipient's intention was not to hold a grand banquet, but simply to have a casual meal with family.
However, the so-called "casual meal" at the Marquis's residence was not as simple as it was made public, with only a few family members invited. The core leadership of the Northern Region was present, with Dai Li and Qin Shaozong seated at the head of the table, and military officers and advisors seated below them.
The table was neatly arranged with delicious dishes, including both hot and cold dishes, as well as desserts; in addition, each long table also had a pot of lamb wine, which is good for the spleen and stomach and replenishes vital energy.
Early spring in the north still carries a chill, but the atmosphere in the hall is warm and lively, with nourishing drinks to warm the body. Even though there is only a charcoal stove in the corner, it is still surprisingly warm.
Mo Yanyun picked up his cup and stood up. "Since you, my lord, do not allow us to bring congratulatory gifts today, I can only offer you wine to wish you good health, success in all your endeavors, and a resounding victory in the upcoming battle against the south!"
The other generals raised their glasses in congratulations, and Qin Shaozong responded with a smile.
After several rounds of drinks, someone couldn't help but ask, "Why doesn't Your Excellency accept our congratulatory gifts?"
The banquet declined invitations from prominent families without them, but for military officers and their advisors, it was a choice between personal attendance and gift-giving. They naturally chose to attend in person, and as for the gifts…
We can find another excuse to send it another day.
Qiao Wangfei had also drunk quite a bit of wine, and after keeping his mouth tightly shut for months, he finally couldn't hold back any longer. "Of course, it's the mistress who's going to make a move! With the mistress's congratulatory gift, whatever we give will pale in comparison to the stars and the moon, and be utterly insignificant. The lord didn't accept our gifts, that's to save face for us!"
"Oh? You know?"
"How could it be insignificant? I've prepared several jars of ten-year-old medicinal wine, which can both promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and strengthen the body. How could it be insignificant?"
"And me, I found two excellent falcons, trained them, and they're perfect for communication. How could it be Starshine?"
"What has the mistress prepared?"
...
Everyone started talking at once.
Qin Shaozong, sitting at the head of the table, was not uninterested in their argument, so he asked knowingly, "Has the lady prepared a gift for me?"
With the atmosphere already set, Dai Li didn't hold back. She nodded first, then called out loudly to the outside, "Bring the things in!"
Not long after he finished speaking, two soldiers carried in a wooden box that was as tall as a person, one on each side.
The wooden box was not completely sealed. The top side and the top of the box had been removed, and only a piece of red silk hung down from the top, which was then fixed at the four corners with small iron nails.
"What is this thing that's being carried in such a large box?"
"It looks like a vase."
"Your brain is filled with rattling water, isn't it? If it were a vase, how could Qiao Wangfei say it's unparalleled? This height is more like a weapon."
"Why put the weapons in a box when you can just present them directly?"
As Dai Li descended from the head of the table and turned to leave the large trunk, she caught a glimpse of a dark figure following her. It turned out that Qin Shaozong had also come along, indicating that he was quite impatient.
Dai Li didn't keep them in suspense and simply pulled the red cloth down.
A glint suddenly appeared in Qin Shaozong's eyes, and his pupils tightened abruptly.
The box contained a suit of armor.
The entire suit of armor was supported by wooden poles inside, and the helmet on top was the same height as Qin Shaozong, clearly designed according to his physique.
The armor is gold and black in color, with upward-curving ear guards on both sides of the helmet, and a taotie with its mouth wide open on top, giving it a magnificent appearance.
Unlike the mainstream armor of the Great Yan Dynasty, this armor features two oval metal plates on the chest and back. The plates are formed in one piece, which helps to disperse the impact force, thus enabling it to withstand attacks from arrows, lances, and other weapons weighing nearly a hundred pounds.
Thousands of fish scales and long stripes are intricately woven together in an orderly fashion, resembling shimmering gold on a lake.
In addition, the skirt armor is no longer a one-piece design as before. It is divided into two pieces that reach the knees, with a trouser armor and a falcon tail covering the front and back respectively to cover the hips.
It's important to understand that modern skirt armor, like an apron, consists of only one piece that wraps around the entire body from front to back. This one-piece skirt armor inherently makes riding horses inconvenient, so some cavalrymen don't wear skirt armor at all, or their skirt armor is very short. Thus, even if they wear armor, they are only concerned with protecting their upper body and not their lower body.
Clearly, the armor before Qin Shaozong had no such concerns. Not only was its protection superb, but it was also exceptionally imposing; no general would not love it, and even a novice would be intimidated by it.
"This is the Bright Armor, a birthday gift for you," Dai Li said with a smile.
The Mingguang Armor is said to be the finest of the dozen or so types of armor used during the Tang Dynasty, and even the pinnacle of ancient Chinese defensive equipment.
The Book of Zhou records: At that time, You wore gleaming iron armor and was invincible. His enemies all exclaimed, "This is a ferocious iron beast!" and hastily fled from him. ①
Those on either side couldn't see the contents of the box, but they could clearly see Qin Shaozong's expression. The man, who was usually as steady as a mountain, suddenly brightened up, his face flushed, and he couldn't help but reach out to touch it, his affection overflowing.
Some people couldn't sit still any longer and left their seats to watch.
Upon seeing this, the man gasped, his eyes shining and unwilling to look away, drool almost dripping from his mouth. "How majestic!"
Once it happened, it happened again, and everyone left their seats.
The hall erupted in chaos.
"Mistress, I've never seen this armor before. Who forged it?"
"My lord, may I touch it? No, I should say I should borrow it to wear."
"Move aside, don't crowd me! Sigh, how about we remove the other wooden planks from the crate? That way we can see it more clearly."
The wooden planks were quickly removed, and Qin Shaozong brushed away several hands that wanted to touch the Mingguang Armor. He first took off the helmet, and then put on the armor. He was so fond of it that he was almost reluctant to wear it. After lingering for a while, he looked at Dai Li beside him with a burning gaze.
"Why are you looking at me? Why don't you try it on and see if it suits you?" Dai Li said with a smile.
Qin Shaozong put it on on the spot.
He was taller and stronger than the average man, and wearing this set of gleaming golden armor made him look even more majestic and heroic, like a god descending to earth.
Qin Shaozong raised his hand, bent his elbow, twisted his waist and turned to the side, and found that it was very suitable. It was as if it was tailor-made for his body shape. Although there were so many scales on the armor, it did not feel heavy or sluggish at all. It was very comfortable everywhere.
Bai Jianping, Mo Yanyun, and the others stared wide-eyed. If it weren't for their superiors standing before them, they would have stripped off the bright armor on the spot and taken his place.
“Go and take a look in the front yard,” Dai Li patted his arm.
The sunlight was perfect, and as soon as Qin Shaozong entered the courtyard, his luminous armor shone even brighter, as if his entire body was glowing.
Qin Qinian's eyes were dazzled, but he couldn't bear to look away. He walked up to Qin Shaozong with longing eyes, also very eager, "Father, could I borrow it just once? Just once! Please..."
Qin Shaozong glanced at him sideways and said, "Go stand under that tree."
Qin Qinian followed his gaze to the trees in the front yard, then turned back, puzzled. "Why? Do you want to disarm yourself there?"
Qin Shaozong sneered, "Then go cool off there and get out there yourself."
Dai Li: "..."
Seeing Qin Qinian's disappointed look, Dai Li said, "Qinian, don't worry, you have some too."
Several pairs of eyes turned to look at her, but Dai Li pretended not to notice. "Your father's birthday is coming soon, so we're rushing to make his set of Bright Armor first. Your and Zhouzhou's sets will be finished in a few days, so please wait a bit."
Hmm, someone is satisfied.
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Author's Note: ①: The Book of Zhou
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